Dare to be a Cow

Part 16 in a series by Karen A. Stevenson, President, Studio K Salon

Have you ever tried to be a cow?

I have a wonderful friend that is loved dearly.  To this day I recall a phone conversation a couple years ago that was very significant to both of us.  It was Halloween, and just like every year before, she was once again going to hand out candy to the children in the neighborhood as they came by.  She sighed as she grumbled how all her friends seemed to have plans, of which she was not invited.  She continued that a group of people from her work were going to endeavor in a very strange outing, however, she had no interest in joining them.

As the conversation advanced, the pattern was evident how much she had placed her life in a box, of which the walls were very safe, very familiar, very secure, wrapped up in a very neat package.  In her box, she associated with the same people, woke up at the same times, had repeated routines in the evenings after work, her work day was consistent, even her drive to work was uneventful and unchanging.  As I allowed my mind to drift, I recalled how often she ate the same things at home, ordered the same things at restaurants, and frequented the same places.  How curious that she and I were such close friends, yet had such different views on how to live our lives. 

On the other hand, I have another close friend that knows no limits when it comes to experiencing new and exciting things, sees change as a challenge which she perceives feeds fuel to the spice of life.  She doesn’t do anything unethical, nor does it lack morals, values or integrity, it merely is that she embraces change, embraces trying new things, and embraces ‘bending’ from the norm, in order to adventure out into what may be a learning experience.  To her, life is a never-ending intrigue of stepping outside of the box, daring to place her toe in the water, and for the mere joy of life, she finds a wealth of happiness in looking over her shoulder and shouting “I DID IT!!”.   

Isn’t it funny how one can see themselves in both friends?  Certainly there are times when it is appropriate to be more conservative, plan your strategies with sure footing, and watch closely as you take one step at a time, such as finances, relationships, raising children, education goals, work responsibilities.  There are, however, also times when it is appropriate to step outside the box and adventure into new experiences.  Taking a walk at a park you’ve never discovered, going to a movie in the middle of the afternoon, trying a bite of the Thai food that you thought you’d never enjoy.  Without these new experiences and adventures, how are you to grow?  How are you to see the full spectrum of life?  How are you to see the full rainbow that was given to us as a gift to live life with beauty, awe, and fulfillment?  How do you know that stretching your walls to your box won’t introduce new passions, new loves, help you to discover parts of yourself that you never knew existed? 

So many people fall into the ruts of pattern, and forget that there is so much more to living than just the same ol’ same ol’ that we’ve been through day after day.  Take your neighbor, for instance.  Chances are that the people that live next door to you experience many things different that you and your four walls experience.  They may go to symphony concerts, or enjoy snow boarding, they may have bright colored walls in their living room rather than builder shell white.  What about the neighbors on the other side?  They may take a trip to a new place every single year and have a wish list for their future vacations. They may travel for their employment, which allows for continuous adventure and change.  Maybe the woman next door had blonde hair but colored it RED!! 

Needless to say, I had to bring my thoughts back to my lovely friend that was so saddened that her holiday was going to be the same as every year. 

As the phone call came to a close, I offered my sympathy and assured her I loved her and things would get better.  Before we hung up, I paused, and then asked her, “What exactly is it your friends from work are going to do that is so strange?”  She replied, “They are going to dress up in these hilarious cow costumes and climb into the back of a pick up truck, and moo around town going to people’s houses they know, and be a herd of cows!”

“You know what?” I asked.  “What?” She replied.

“Maybe you should be a cow”.